A Compact Incubation Platform for Long-Term Cultivation of Biological Samples for Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Widefield Microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a custom compact incubation device designed for long-term biological sample cultivation compatible with NV center widefield microscopy, enabling stable environmental control and real-time quantum sensing of cellular dynamics.

Contribution

A novel, purpose-built incubation platform that maintains precise environmental conditions suitable for NV widefield magnetometry during extended biological experiments.

Findings

Sustained viability of cancer cells over 90 hours.

Successful magnetic imaging of labeled cells after long-term cultivation.

Enables real-time quantum sensing of cellular processes.

Abstract

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond provide a versatile quantum sensing platform for biological imaging through magnetic field detection, offering unlimited photostability and the ability to perform long-term observations without photobleaching or phototoxicity. However, conventional stage-top incubators are incompatible with the unique requirements for NV widefield magnetometry to study cellular dynamics. Here, we present a purpose-built compact incubation platform that maintains precise environmental control of temperature, CO$_2$ atmosphere, and humidity while accommodating the complex constraints of NV widefield microscopy. The system employs a 3D-printed biocompatible chamber with integrated heating elements, temperature control, and humidified gas flow to create a stable physiological environment directly on the diamond sensing surface. We demonstrate sustained viability and proliferation of HT29 colorectal cancer cells over 90 hours of continuous incubation, with successful magnetic field imaging of immunomagnetically labeled cells after extended cultivation periods. This incubation platform enables long-term cultivation and real-time monitoring of biological samples on NV widefield magnetometry platforms, opening new possibilities for studying dynamic cellular processes using quantum sensing technologies.